Former Governor Andrew Cuomo and Queens Assembly Member Zohran Mamdani, two Democrats at opposite ends of the party’s ideological spectrum, are dominating fundraising in the race to unseat current Mayor Eric Adams, according to data from the city’s Campaign Finance Board (CFB) and figures released by their campaigns.
Cuomo, who entered the race on March 1, announced that he had raised a staggering $1.5 million from 2,800 donors in just 13 days—a result his campaign calls “unprecedented,” thanks to his name recognition and a well-funded super PAC. Among his supporters are his ex-wife Kerry Kennedy, former Manhattan District Attorney Geoff Berman, and Jessica Seinfeld—the wife of comedian Jerry Seinfeld.
Cuomo’s opponents, however, are focusing on his past, recalling the harassment allegations against him. In a lengthy interview on Monday, he avoided addressing the topic.
Cuomo has spent the past four years trying to rehabilitate his name after 11 sexual harassment accusations—which he has repeatedly denied—forced him to resign as governor in August 2021. He was also under investigation for his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, with critics accusing his administration of vastly underreporting COVID-related deaths in the state’s nursing homes.
The other leading fundraiser is Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic Socialist who raised nearly $847,000 between mid-January and March 13 from over 16,000 individual donors, in addition to the $643,000 he had raised in the previous filing period. This means he had already unlocked $2.8 million in public matching funds from the CFB and is now unlocking an additional $4 million.
New York’s Campaign Finance Board (CFB) provides candidates with an 8-to-1 match for contributions up to $250 from city residents. However, candidates must raise at least $250,000 from at least 1,000 small-dollar city-based donors to qualify for matching funds.
Andrew Cuomo’s campaign reports that $332,000 of his contributions meet CFB rules, bringing his war chest to nearly $4.2 million.
Incumbent Mayor Eric Adams has not given up, but in this filing period, he does not appear to have raised enough to unlock public funds. Adams’ poll numbers were already declining before he was indicted last year on five counts of corruption and fraud, alleging that he personally profited from connections with foreign officials.
Since then, the mayor has made several moves to align himself with current President Donald Trump, particularly by promising results in New York’s crackdown on immigration.
Originally charges against Adams were dropped without prejudice, meaning that they could be reinstated at any time in the future. However, in recent weeks, the Justice Department has recommended that they be dropped with prejudice, meaning that they would be permanently closed. In protest, six senior Justice Department officials have since resigned, including Manhattan’s U.S. Attorney Danielle Sassoon, who had been appointed by Trump. Sassoon stated that the mayor had agreed to a quid pro quo with the Justice Department.
In the latest filing period, Adams’ fundraising has slowed significantly; in December, the CFB rejected his request for $4 million. At his weekly press conference on Monday evening, Adams downplayed concerns about fundraising, emphasizing that he “started raising early” and that “everyone is catching up to me.”
